


Happy Birthday To Me

by anime_demigod



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Birthday, Ficlet, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I love ATEEZ, Kang Yeosang-centric, M/M, Multi, Short, forgotten, yeosang is precious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:00:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23498644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anime_demigod/pseuds/anime_demigod
Summary: Yeosang was panicking.What if his members really did forget his birthday?
Relationships: Jung Wooyoung/Kang Yeosang, Kang Yeosang/Everyone, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa, OT8 - Relationship
Comments: 13
Kudos: 308





	Happy Birthday To Me

**Author's Note:**

> So my friend finally got me into ATEEZ at the beginning of the year and I can’t believe I didn’t stan them sooner! Yeosang is my bias (can’t you tell by this fic lol) and he’s so underrated even in fanfiction so I absolutely had to do my part. Please enjoy!

Yeosang woke up as soon as his alarm rang. He hit the clock next to his bed and sprang up, already stoked for the day. On any other occasion his sudden excitement would concern him, but today was different. Today was his birthday. And he was going to make the most of it.

He immediately changed into his daily practice clothes, slinking as quietly as he can to not wake Wooyoung. His roommate was dead to the world, his face smushed in his pillow. Yeosang smiled at the sight, closing the door slowly. He turned and padded to the kitchen area, where he found Seonghwa already eating breakfast.

“Yeosang? You’re up early,” the older commented, his spoon paused halfway to his mouth. He hummed, wondering if he should tell the others right away. He shook his head to himself. No, the others will celebrate on their own. He doesn’t need to remind them.

“There’s still some cereal left,” Seonghwa murmured as he pushed at the sandy blond hair hanging in his eyes. “You might have to leave for practice early if the others don’t wake up soon.”

Yeosang tilted his head. It wasn’t odd for them to start their schedules differently, but usually he went with somebody. As if he sensed his question, Seonghwa shook his head apologetically.

“No, I can’t go with you. I promised Hongjoong I’d help him with something today.” The lack of explanation made Yeosang squint his eyes.

“Is it a new song he wants you to sing in?”

The eldest just shrugged. “Something like that.”

“Hmm,” he said, suspicious, but he left it at that. He turned, making himself a bowl of cereal. He sat next to Seonghwa at the table, munching away at the healthy but bland oats.

When he finished, he moved to the bathroom, starting his normal morning routine. He was still the only other up when he exited. He sighed to himself. Maybe he should’ve just slept in his normal time after all.

He paused in the hallway, a new idea sprinting forward. What if, everyone was sleeping in on purpose, so that he’d leave early? Then while he was gone, they’d make birthday plans without him knowing. He grew giddy at the idea, but he quickly stuffed the feeling down.

No, it’s a normal day, he just happened to get up earlier than usual. Instead of someone like Jongho leaving first, it’s just him. But still, the feeling remained at the back of his mind. He was an idol, and he’d seen videos of other idols surprising their members on their birthday. It wasn’t out of the ordinary if his members tried to do the same. He can just pretend he had no idea.

With his mind made up, Yeosang entered the living room area, waving at Seonghwa who was going to wake the others.

“I’m off then,” he whispered. The other gave him a warm smile, waving back. Yeosang reached the front door and wiggled his shoes on. He did a once over, checking his phone and his bag for things like his water bottle and charger. Satisfied, he plugged his earbuds in and left.

—

When Yeosang arrived at their company building, he was greeted by a lot of staff. All of them wished him a happy birthday and he brightened considerably. He was glad that they remembered and were kind enough to tell him so. A few blushed at his beam, knowing it was more than the polite smile they usually got. He made his way to the dance room first, as that was the schedule for the day. With their upcoming album release and comeback, their schedule was shifted from normal blocks to day-by-day. Instead of breaking their day up into dance, language, and singing segments, it was now assigned to different days. Today was a dancing-only day to fine-tune their performances. 

He grimaced at the exhaustion he knew he would feel by the end of today. Why couldn’t his birthday fall on a singing day? Or even a language day? He enjoyed learning Chinese. Not that he didn’t enjoy dancing, but he wasn’t learning anything new. They were at the point that he could perform in his sleep.

He sighed, dropping his bag along the wall. Some staff was already in the dance room, bowing to him from behind the desk. He bowed back politely. When he came closer, they too wished him a happy birthday. He felt his eyes crinkle with the force of his smile and he ruffled his hair, embarrassed. Soon, he shifted into his routine, starting the warm-up playlist and walking to the middle of the room. He started stretching until enough time had passed.

When he was still the only member present, he worried a bit. Usually by now, someone would join him. He glanced at the clock. There was still half an hour before all of them needed to be there. Again, his thoughts shifted to a surprise birthday party. They couldn’t risk being late just to surprise him, right? He scoffed and tried to focus on himself in the mirror. Wooyoung probably just slept in again. San and Mingi, too. Or maybe Jongho accidentally broke something with his superhuman strength. Seonghwa said he was going to help Hongjoong with something. At least those two were busy. Yunho wouldn’t leave until someone else went with him. Yeosang convinced himself with all those reasons as best he could. He’d decided to freestyle while he waited, bored of stretching.

Five minutes before the hour, he heard the others bustle in. At that point, he was leaning against the mirrors, phone in hand. Ten minutes ago he grew bored of dancing on his own and decided to just scroll through Twitter. Lots of atiny wished him a happy birthday and the sight made his chest warm. He thought about posting a birthday selca, but upon seeing his casual appearance, he decided not to. He made a mental note to at least make a post thanking their fans tonight.

He looked up to the sound of footsteps, the waiting staff mirroring him. One by one all the other members of ATEEZ filed in and bowed to the staff. All of them wore practice clothes like Yeosang and it felt like any other day. He waited with bated breath for one of them to tell him. But when Wooyoung caught his gaze, he only smiled mischievously and said, “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Yah, did you sleep in again?” Yeosang asked, good-natured. He knew his friend and roommate well, and it wouldn’t surprise him if the reason they were nearly late was him. The other flashed a peace sign while Mingi shoved him.

“Really, this guy...” he whined, only confirming Yeosang’s suspicions. Before any petulant fighting broke out, Hongjoong clapped his hands, redirecting their attention.

“Okay guys, we’ve got a long day ahead of us so let’s make the most of it,” he started, in leader-mode. He turned to the staff at the desk. “Sorry to have you wait so long.” They waved him off, gesturing to start. Yeosang didn’t get an apology despite waiting as long as them. He pouted for a moment.

“Yeosang-ah, get your ass over here. We’re stretching!” Hongjoong barked. He frowned.

“I already did that! You took too long.”

“Well, do it again. I can’t have you getting a muscle sprain a week before comeback.”

Yeosang huffed but obliged, not able to argue with his logic. The next few hours blurred together. They went through their dance routine multiple times, correcting each other on minor things until the choreographer and instructors arrived. Then under their scrutiny they perfected their already perfect performance. 

Their lunch break they spent playing games while they ate. Then after even more stretching, they moved on to a b-side in their album. The rest of their allotted time was spent tweaking and fixing their dance for the song. Not as important as the title song, but still important as they were going to perform it at music shows. By the end of the day, Yeosang was dead tired with no semblance of time.

“Is it 6 o’clock or is it 11 o’clock,” San moaned, scrubbing the sweat off his face with his shirt. Seonghwa laughed breathlessly from somewhere on Yeosang’s left. Yeosang just stared at the LED lights on the ceiling, breathing hard. He was so tired. The lack of windows in their room made it feel like it was the middle of the day and the night at the same time. He rubbed his hand through his hair, pulling the sticky bleached locks off his forehead. He just wanted to go home, take a shower, and sleep.

So much for a nice birthday.

He craned his neck while still lying on the floor. The clock on the far wall indicated it was still early evening. Maybe his members got him a cake or something. The thought of a surprise video with all of them sweaty and gross seems unlikely. He didn’t even care about a surprise party anymore. He only hoped he had some sort of dessert or birthday present to look forward to. 

A towel is slapped onto his face, making him groan. He pulled it off, wiping sweat off dutifully. Yunho grinned at him devilishly, obviously the culprit.

Mingi pulled himself up and sighed dramatically. “Who wants to go get food? I’m so hungry I could eat a whole pig.” Yunho, San, and Jongho all raised their hands, gathering themselves quickly despite their early tiredness. Yeosang remained on the floor, ignoring the hard wood that dug into his back.

“Seonghwa and I have some more recording to do. We’ll be in my studio if you need anything,” Hongjoong called as he hoisted his bag over his shoulder. He promptly tuned out all catcalls that came his and Seonghwa’s way and disappeared through the door. Seonghwa followed him close behind.

Wooyoung got up from his position and stood over Yeosang, extending a hand. He gave him a small smile, accepting the hand. Wooyoung pulled him up swiftly.

“You guys wanna join us?” San asked the two of them, already cleaned up. Wooyoung shared a glance with Yeosang and immediately spoke.

“Actually, I wanted to get some ice cream first.” Yeosang’s ears warmed. It was as if Wooyoung could read his mind. He wanted something cold and sweet over a hot meal right now. Leave it to his best friend to save him like that.

“Yeosang, are you gonna go with him?” San’s voice nudged him out of his head and he nodded. “Okay then we’ll go without you, but we’ll save some chicken for you.”

“Hey, who said we would get chicken—“ Jongho interjected.

“We can decide what to get later. Let's just go home for now,” Yunho pacified, guiding them out. Wooyoung snickered at their backs, then turned to face Yeosang.

“Well? Let’s go.”

Yeosang hummed, already moving to gather his things. His mind was mostly blank, but there was a small part that poked at him, telling him that none of his members had told him “happy birthday.”

—

Wooyoung skipped happily on the sidewalk. They both had ice cream from the convenience store in their hands, racing against the evening summer heat to finish it. While Wooyoung seemed to dance as he walked, Yeosang shuffled next to him. The other was oblivious to the internal crisis that had risen over the duration of their walk.

Yeosang was panicking.

What if his members really  _ did _ forget his birthday? After all, their fans remembered. His family from home remembered (he’d gotten some texts throughout the day). The staff remembered. Even the choreographer remembered (he had pulled him aside during their lunch break). How could his own best friends not remember?

Maybe they were just tired. Maybe they forgot. It can happen. Yeosang once did forget it was Yunho’s birthday, but he realized as soon as the other members sang to him. Really, ATEEZ had a good tradition of singing each other happy birthday and properly celebrating. He couldn’t fathom why they didn’t do the same with him.

Unless... he stumbled in his tracks, earning a weird look from Wooyoung. His mind was racing. Unless ATEEZ’s popularity reached a point that they’ve started doing things that other, bigger kpop groups do, like surprise birthdays. Maybe this is their first attempt at it and they’re trying to hide it from him. Maybe Wooyoung separated him on purpose so the rest could get the dorm ready when he returned. His little hope was squandered by his unbearable overthinking. No, Hongjoong and Seonghwa are also separated. There’s nothing special about tonight. Wooyoung was just being a good friend when he offered to get ice cream.

Before he knew it, they arrived back at their dorm. Instead of going ahead of Yeosang to unlock the door, Wooyoung waved for him to go first. He frowned at the other, confused.

“I don’t have the keys today, I forgot them,” he explained. Yeosang’s brow was still knotted.

“That never stops you though, you’d just knock until someone answers,” he remarked, but he pulled out his keys anyway. Wooyoung shrugged. Yeosang stared at him a bit longer before turning to the lock, his heartbeat speeding up.

What if this is the moment? Wooyoung acted strange then, maybe he wanted Yeosang to go first for his surprise? That must be it! His hands shook as he struggled to fit the key into the lock. It took him several tries but eventually he slid it in and twisted, the lock coming smoothly undone with a click. The anticipation was killing him and he bit his lip, excited to see what they had in store for him.

He swung the door open a bit harsher than need be. He flinched, preparing himself for a flash camera or streamers or balloons or  _ something _ ...

But there was nothing.

Yeosang sighed, berating himself.  _ Dummy, you’re still at the entrance. You have to get inside more. They’re probably in the kitchen _ . He stepped on the heels of his shoes, effectively sliding out his feet, and dropped his bag to the floor. Next to him, Wooyoung did the same.

“We’re home,” Wooyoung shouted. No response. Yeosang thought it was his members trying to be sneaky. He rounded the hallway and stepped into the living room, searching for something.

All he found is Jongho on the couch, tapping at his phone. At Yeosang’s arrival he looked up, waving shortly. A flood of disappointment overcame Yeosang but he persevered, not willing to lose hope.

He rushed to the kitchen, ignoring Wooyoung and Jongho’s sounds of confusion. He found some plates on the counter but nothing else. He frantically opened the fridge and freezer, a last ditch attempt at finding a cake of some sort, but all he found was the leftover takeout that Mingi and the others must’ve ordered.

He realized too late that his breathing was sporadic and his frame was shaking. The disappointment was quickly turning into despair.

“Yeosang what’s wrong?” Wooyoung asked softly as he came up from behind. Yeosang whipped around, his wild eyes meeting concerned ones. Past Wooyoung was Jongho, rising from the couch, and Yunho and San, who were coming from their rooms. It was suddenly all too much and he was on the brink of tears.

“I’ve never seen you act like this—“

“I need some time alone,” Yeosang interrupted the other coldly, shutting down. He elbowed his way past Wooyoung, avoiding the worried glances the others sent him.

“Yeosang wait—“ Yunho tried.

“I said,  _ leave me alone _ !” He would’ve sounded fierce had his voice not cracked halfway through. A dry sob clawed its way out of his throat and he rushed to his room, locking the door behind him.

As soon as the lock clicked, he broke. Hot tears streamed down his face and heavy sobs filled the silence in his room. He slowly slid down the door until he sat with his body curled around his knees. The shattering realization hit him harder than he could’ve imagined.

They really forgot.

It wasn’t some elaborate plan to surprise him. It wasn’t even a last minute cake and birthday wishes. They didn’t have anything in the first place.

“Yeosang please come out.” San murmured through the door. He shook his head, not caring that the other can’t see him. His lack of response only fueled their efforts.

“Yeosang please. Whatever it was that we did, just tell us,” Mingi’s voice sounded. Yeosang hissed a harsh laugh, making the others pause in shock. The few seconds of quiet allowed for him to just breathe. He threw his head back and it thunked against the wood of the door. He stared at the off-white ceiling, painted dark in the twilight. He should turn a light on at least. But right now, wallowing in the darkness was fitting. He didn’t have the energy to do anything else.

The sounds of the others moving around could be heard. It seemed they gave up on him, at least. Yeosang didn’t know if that made him feel better or worse. There was a mini commotion a few minutes later and he made out the voices of Hongjoong and Seonghwa. They must have just gotten home. The two oldest were then informed of his sudden outburst.

Some time later a knock resounded on the door and it vibrated Yeosang’s skull. He had since finished crying, instead staring into space and regretting his existence. He was past the sadness and now petty. Whoever knocked would not get any response from him.

“Yeosangie? I know you’re in there,” Hongjoong spoke quietly. Yeosang stubbornly didn’t answer. “Please. You don’t have to say anything. Just unlock the door. Let me in.”

His resolve crumbled and he slowly lifted an arm, groping for the handle above him. He finally found it after a while, twisting his wrist weird to open the lock. After the click, he heard Hongjoong sigh in relief.

“I’m going to come in, now.”

Yeosang shifted out of the way, his body protesting. It was not a good idea to sit uncomfortably still after a whole day of dancing. He kept his stare at a corner of the room, avoiding Hongjoong’s concerned gaze as he stepped in.

“Yeosang. Can we talk?”

He stayed quiet. Hongjoong sighed, reaching out and resting his hand on his shoulder. “Please? We won’t be able to get anywhere if we don’t talk, alright?”

That made him break. He met his leader’s gaze, nodding to show his agreement. Hongjoong just smiled at him with a kind of softness.

“Do you want to just talk to me or to everyone?”

Oh, definitely everyone. He wanted to let everyone know how they forgot about him. Rub salt in the wound all at once.

“Everyone,” he croaked. Hongjoong is surprised, not expecting him to agree so readily. He shifted his hand so it grabbed Yeosang’s and pulled him upright.

“Come on, then. Let’s go to the living room.”

—

Yeosang squirmed under the gazes of his members. He hated being put on the spot like this, unwilling attention directed completely to him and his every move. It was different from being on stage; at least then he wanted it. He could psych himself up to be confident and take on a different persona as an idol. Right now he was far from it. He jumped when Hongjoong laid a hand on his from next to him, leaning further into the couch.

“Are you ready to tell us what’s wrong?” His leader asked, gesturing with his hand to the rest of them who crowded around the coffee table on the floor.

“Yeah, I’ve never seen you so troubled before,” Mingi remarked, earning an elbow from Yunho.

Yeosang grimaced, averting his eyes and focusing on the wood grains of the table. He started to mumble something, but when the others leaned in with curious expressions he stopped, repeating louder.

“Do you know what day it is?” He whispered. San cocked his head, not understanding. “Isn’t it Thursday? What’s that have to do with anything?”

“No, I mean... the date,” his voice cracked at the end as he lost his resolve. His hands clutched at his arms, digging crescents into his shoulders. Jongho frowned, flipping his phone screen to check.

“June 15th...” the way he trailed off indicated the dawning realization. There were a few sucked in gasps. Yeosang ducked his head, fresh tears hot in his eyes.

“Oh my god, we missed your  _ birthday _ ?” Wooyoung exclaimed sharply. “How could we miss your  _ birthday _ ?!” With every word his voice raised higher in desperation.

When nobody responded, another hand rubbed at his knee and Yeosang peeked to see a tortured Seonghwa.

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner? We could’ve done something to make up for it.”

Yeosang wiped harshly at his eyes, pulling in a breath before speaking. “I just—“ he gulped. “I thought that... I don’t know... I thought maybe you guys were having a surprise party... like what other idols do...” he was basically mouthing his words at the end. Hongjoong rubbed his fingers over his face with a groan.

“Of course! We could’ve done something like that... we’re so stupid.”

“Wait did no one remember your birthday?” Yunho asked almost frantically. Yeosang shook his head weakly.

“The staff did. And atiny did. That’s really why I thought it was going to be a surprise.”

“Oh god it really was just us that forgot. We’re truly horrible people for putting you through that!” San moaned.

“No, it makes sense, I mean,” his defense is pitiful. “We were busy, we had a stressful schedule, and we hadn’t looked at our phones all day...”

“But  _ still _ ! For us to forget one of our own’s birthday is despicable,” Hongjoong emphasized. “Never let us do that again. If we do, you have full permission to slap us across our faces. In fact, I give you permission to do so right now.”

Yeosang laughed meekly. “I won’t do that. As much as you may deserve it, I don’t have the heart to do that.” Seonghwa continued to rub calming circles into his knee.

Jongho stood up suddenly. “Is it too late to get a cake?” He burst out, checking the time. The others shrugged. Yeosang’s heart twinged at the effort they were willing to put in still, even this late after a long day. 

“That’s okay,” he sniffled, pushing at his remaining tears with the heels of his palms. “You don’t have to do that. I just wanted to spend time with you guys outside of schedules and stuff.”

“We can still do that. And we’re going to make the most of it,” Seonghwa promised. He looked past Yeosang and made eye contact with Hongjoong, sharing a silent conversation.

“Alright,” Hongjoong announced after a moment. “Mingi, Yunho, go to the store and get the best cake you can find. San and Jongho, go in the kitchen and find some candles. I know we have some somewhere. Seonghwa and I can bust out the alcohol.”

The members nodded and dispersed without question, leaving Wooyoung with Yeosang. The other gave him a tortured look, scooting closer and grabbing his hands.

“Yeosang, I’m so sorry that we forgot. That  _ I _ forgot.” He laughed bitterly. “So much for being your best friend for five years.”

He shook his head, trying to protest, but Wooyoung stopped him.

“You’re really too good to be true. We literally have no excuse, regardless of schedules. Everyone in the world remembered your birthday except for the people who mattered to you the most. If I were you I’d have thrown a fit the moment I woke up in the morning.” They chuckled together at the thought.

“But really, it was so surprising to see you fall apart. When you ran to our room like that I immediately knew that we fucked up somehow.” He laced their fingers together. 

“So now I’m going to make sure that we make the most of these last few hours. It may not be the best birthday, but it’s sure to be a memorable one, huh?” He joked. Yeosang’s smile grew into a rare grin. Wooyoung matched it easily, surging forward to embrace him. He returned the hug, smashing his face into Wooyoung’s neck.

When they finally broke apart, Mingi and Yunho had returned, toting a large white box. Wooyoung led him to the kitchen, where the others were arranging his last minute birthday party. Yeosang’s chest swelled at the sight. Despite it all, they tried their best to give him what they believed he deserved, even if he didn’t believe it himself.

He deposited himself at the far end of the table, watching them quietly. The lid to the box which supposedly held the cake was open, effectively blocking his view of whatever the members were doing. So he waited patiently for them to finish, eyeing the bottle of soju also on the table.

With a triumphant noise, his leader stepped away from the cake and the others followed, all with varying degrees of satisfaction. Jongho circled around, filling the eight glasses set out with the soju. Seonghwa brought a lighter, lighting the candles. Yunho slowly lifted the cake out of the box and carried over to him. Overhead, the kitchen lights flicked off and Yeosang glanced to see a grinning Mingi by the switch. The cake was carefully set in front of him and the members surrounded the table, lifting their glasses.

Yeosang stared at the dessert in front of him. It was a generic white cake, baked in a circle with puffed frosting. However, added in shaky lettering were the words “Happy Birthday Yeosang” and under it “8 makes 1 team” in black and red frosting. Around the words were eight multi-colored candles. He grinned at the sight, eyes watering dangerously.

“Make a wish!” San whisper-called. Yeosang paused and closed his eyes for a moment, thinking. After a bit, he opened his eyes, inhaled slowly, and leaned forward. The members watched and waited, smiling in anticipation. He blew out the candles and was met with seven of his favorite people cheering him with “ _ happy birthday! _ ” They all raised their glasses and drank.

The light was turned back on and they scurried around for plates and spoons and a knife. Jongho cut through the cake like it was butter, not struggling one bit, and gave Yeosang a generous slice that he could never finish. When they all had a piece and dug in, San nudged his elbow with his own, a question on his frosting covered lips.

“What did you wish for?”

“Probably for us to never forget his birthday again,” Mingi joked.

Yeosang smiled, shaking his head. “I just wished for us to stay together forever and be happy.”

They all cooed over him, making him blush. He tilted his head, deciding to ignore the embarrassment and continue eating. The day was long and interesting, to say the least. He’s glad that it resulted in the one thing he’d hoped for: quality time spent with his best friends. 

Like Wooyoung had said, it was not the best birthday by far, but it certainly wasn’t one he would ever forget.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you like BTS as well, consider checking out some of my other fics.


End file.
